Ohio State’s Garrett Stover Steps into Leadership Role After Iron Buckeye Recognition

Three years into the program, Garrett Stover is starting to look exactly like what Ohio State wants at linebacker. And more importantly, he’s starting to sound like it too.

“It means everything,” Stover said of earning Iron Buckeye honors. “It’s been a big goal of mine ever since I’ve gotten here.”

Inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, that distinction carries weight. It’s not just about performance in the weight room. It’s about consistency, accountability, and trust.

“Being the same guy day in and day out…you know what you’re going to get,” Stover said. “That’s what people look for.”

This offseason, the physical growth is obvious. Stover said he’s up to 234 pounds after a demanding winter program, adding size to match the role he’s chasing in Ohio State’s linebacker rotation.

But the bigger jump might be in how he’s approaching the position. “Taking control. Communication…using my hands more…doing better in zone coverage. That’s the biggest thing.”

That mindset has also pushed him toward a more vocal presence within the room, something Ohio State has needed with turnover and new additions.

“Why not me?” Stover said. “I wanted to be that guy everybody looks to when things get hard.”

That mentality showed up during offseason workouts, especially in the most taxing moments “When we’re going through mat drills and everybody’s dying…everybody looks to that one guy,” he said. “I wanted to be that guy.”

The standard has also been modeled by players before him, including his linebacker turned tight end cousin, Cade Stover, now with the Houston Texans. Cade’s physical, do-anything approach helped define the program’s toughness in recent years.

“Seeing what they did just makes you work even harder,” Stover said.

Linebacker Room Pushing Forward

Inside the linebacker room, the competition is only intensifying. With veterans, transfers, and young players all pushing for roles, Stover sees a unit capable of taking a step forward. “We’ve got a lot of new additions…I’m really excited to see what our room can do.”

No matter how his role ultimately unfolds, his approach isn’t changing. “Bring physicality…do any dirty work…anything they ask of me, I’m willing to do it.”

And the motivation driving it all hasn’t faded. After the way last season ended, Stover said the entire program has carried that with them into the offseason.

“It’s definitely a chip on our shoulder,” he said. “We don’t want to ever feel that feeling again.”